Weird Head Feelings And Social Anxiety. Posted: 04-16-06 06:59am
Hello everyone.
My name is michael and i'm currently 18
years old i've been suffering from severe
depression for over two years, which
developed into a social anxiety. I can't
leave the house and I haven't been able to
for the last two years, I do sometimes
visit my father and go to the dentist, but
I haven't really been out at all except
from those times.
Now my main fear isn't the anxiety at the
moment, but the weird feelings i've been
having in my head for the past year. For
the first few weeks it started off as a
pressure feeling in the side of my head, I
was really worried about it so I went on
holiday to my grans hoping it would go
away, but instead of going away it
developed into prickly feelings in my
head. I've been worried about it all this
past year and it's been there every single
day since then, there has not been a day
when it hasn't been there. I do not feel
it when sleeping, but I do feel it as soon
as I wake up, it seems to be worse when
i'm really tired. Sometimes I can get it
to go away by putting on headphones or a
hat of some sort, but as soon as I take
them off I feel it again. I do not get it
on one spot of my head, it can be anywhere
from the back to the front near my nose.
I usually have the little prickly feelings
all over my head and although they don't
hurt it makes me feel uncomfortable.
I've been thinking it could possibly be a
brain tumour, but after over a year with
this wouldn't there be other symptoms? My
mother keeps telling me it's because of
the way i've been living and if I manged
to defeat my social anxiety it would go
away in time. I haven't been to the
doctor, because i'm extremely paranoid and
worried that he would tell me it's
something bad as my biggest fear is of
dying.
I also want to say that I have been trying
to go out, I got a job working with my
uncle and when I went I would suddenly
start swallowing a lot then I wouldn't be
able to swallow and feel like I couldn't
breathe, then I would start to panic and
feel very light headed, once I got back
home into my safety zone the feelins went
away.
Do you think the weird feelings in my head
are caused by my social anxiety and
depression? I'm really worried about this
and any advice would be greatly
appreciated.
|
tony3595
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 04 Apr 2006 Posts: 68 Location: IL
Posted: 04-16-06 10:28am
Hello and happy easter to you.
Can I ask, why are you afraid of dying?
We will all die at some point in life. At
18 years old, you should be finding ways
to stay alive and enjoy every minute of
the day, everyday for the rest of your
life.
You are doing yourself more harm by not
going to a doctor than thinking there is
something wrong and not knowing you could
be perfectly fine. As you know, nothing
could be wrong and your fear was for
nothing. If there is something wrong,
catch it while there is still time to
correct the situation. Time is time, use
it to your benefit.
The mind can play some very horrible
tricks on your body. At one point in my
life, I could think about getting a cold,
fearing of getting a cold, taking all the
precautions of getting a cold. Well guess
what, I got a cold.
As soon as I took control of my thoughts
and my feelings, I have not had a cold.
The phrase mind over matter is very
powerful, if used to your best benefit.
Granted it is easier said than done, but
it is totally up to you to do something
about it. Advise is only going to give
you more to worry about and not resolve
your fear.
The only way to resolve your fear is to go
to the doctor, have a good exam, and find
out for sure what is happening, if
anything. This will relieve your mind of
that concern or at least be placed on a
good health program to recovery.
Don't waist your life worring about
whether or not it is terminal. Spend you
life thinking about enjoying all the time
you have at such a young age.
|
Jamesab
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Jul 2005 Posts: 101 Location: UK
Posted: 04-17-06 14:52pm
I don't think there is anything serious
going on here... However, as mentioned by
tony it is imperative that you see a
doctor. I started out my anxiety with the
'prickly feeling' in the head and also
pressure... I have had a ct scan, blood
tests. Mri scan, ecg, eye tests, and
neurological examinations and found
nothing, it was all caused by stress and
anxiety. I have to this day struggled
with anxiety which has been over a year
now. Please try your best to see a doctor
as soon as possible... Get things ruled
out sooner rather than later as you may
regret it if you do not go.
Best wishes,
james
|
loopy-one
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Apr 2006 Posts: 19 Location: UK
How Are You Now? Posted: 04-28-06 04:23am
Hello michael. I have been getting
anxiety and depression symptoms since my
friend died last june (05) but I have had
it all before a few years ago and it comes
back every so often.
I get weird head feelings sometimes, not
often but they do occur at times. Once I
felt a numbness all down one side of my
head and neck, and it really scared me. I
was with a friend at the time so I just
mentioned it to him and then tried to talk
about other things and take my mind off
it. It was worrying at the back of my
mind but then it went away after an hour
or so.
I think these feelings are worrying
because they are strange at the time and
we hear stories of brain tumours and stuff
on the news etc. It plays on your mind
and adds to your anxiety even more.
What I try to do is talk to myself calmly
(not out loud!!) and be as objective as
possible. If I think i'm dying (and yes,
I do feel like that too - it is either I
feel I can't go on, or I feel I don't want
to go on, or I feel I will stop breathing
and die etc and it is horrible), but I try
to say to myself "don't worry. This will
pass, it always does. We will all die at
some point, but I probably won't die
tonight!! This is just anxiety, that's
all, and I will get through it". That is
how I get through the severe symptoms that
are terrifying. I try to do breathing
exercises (ask your doctor or look on the
net about it or pm me and i'll explain
them) and this can usually calm me down.
Read a book, listen to music, or think
about something nice and positive if you
can. Imagine yourself happy and healthy,
and focus on that thought, not on your
symptoms.
Pm me if you like.
Some questions: do you eat and sleep well?
(this makes me more anxious if I havent
slept or eaten well). Has there been a
bereavement or trauma somewhere in your
life? Your mind could be re-acting your
feelings from that. Do you have enough
support around you? Friends and family
etc who help you relax and who you can
talk to etc?
Hope this goes away and you get better, I
know how horrible it can feel. Get in
touch and let me know how you are!
Loops x
